Instagram is one of the few popular social networks that still shows content in chronological order. Soon, however, it’ll be adding algorithms for personalized social feeds. Similar to Facebook, Instagram will order the photos and videos based on “your relationship with the person posting and the timeliness of the post,” the company shared in a recent blog post.
“You may be surprised to learn that people miss on average 70 percent of their feeds,” Instagram’s post begins. The company’s goal moving forward is to order your feed by the photos it thinks you’ll be most interested in. This may make some users weary, since Facebook’s algorithms have created a lot of frustration among users. But Instagram has said that “we’re going to take time to get this right and listen to your feedback along the way.”
As an example of how this could improve your Instagram experience, the company explains, “If your favorite musician shares a video from last night’s concert, it will be waiting for you when you wake up, no matter how many accounts you follow or what time zone you live in. And when your best friend posts a photo of her new puppy, you won’t miss it.”
Inevitably, the algorithm will also be used to tailor ads to your preferences as well. It sounds like the transition will be somewhat gradual as Instagram tweaks the changes moving forward. It would be ideal if one could choose whether they preferred results based on the algorithm or in chronological order. It will also be interesting to see how current users respond.
What do you think? Is this is a smart move or more of an annoyance?
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